The National tribune., 1887-04-28
FORT MALONE.
How the First Brigade, First Division, Ninth Corps,
Got There.


EDITOR NATIONAL tribune: Comrades,
you cannot without fight capture the honor
of taking Fort Malone from the First Brigade,
First Division, Ninth Corps, consisting of the
Tooth y. " 9th and 35th Wis. and 9th Mich,
Gen. o. Il. Wilcox commanding division. We
went into that fort before daylight on the MORN
ing of April 2, 1865, capturing guns, men and
a number Of flags
Several DAYS prior to the morning Of the as
sauIt each regimental commander was furnished
with plans of the ground over which they were
expected to advance. and instructions as TO their
positions in line Of attack. Taking the same,
the 3Sth Wis. in the advance, the brigade was
ordered forward, but in advancing, for some
unknown cause, the 3Sth obliqued to the left,
leaving an open front in the advance on the
fort to the eth Mich. That regiment pushed
forward silently with the rest of the brigade
until half the distance had been accomplished,
when Col. Chas. Waite, commanding, called
halt to straighten the line.
When ordered to advance, some division of
opinion was expressed to the Colonel by Cap
tains Of several companies as to the policy of
advancing directly against the face of the fort,
there being a noisy battery to the right of our
line, the objective poinG-its noise, however,
being its worst effect. But Col. Waite said his
orders were imperative, and by the Eternal
/ am going into that fort if 1 am the only one
left"
At this his Orderly, Tommy Talbot, raised
his cap at arms length and shouted at the top
of his voice, That's the way for man to talk
Three cheers for the Colonel, and to the fort let
us gO!"
At once the cry went up along the line: "To
the fort To the fortI" and with solid Union
cheer away the line swept over aDatis, up the
face of the fort and into it, capturing the left
wing of the fort with all its contents.
At this point some one shouted above the
din, Turn the guns Turn the guns!" when
about 50men dropped their muskets and rushed
for the captured guns, and were getting them
around in fine shape, while hundred voices
were yelling, "Let the guns go! Hold the
works. No Fort Steadman this time!"
Col. Waite, seeing so many at the guns, re-
quested Capt. James MOynahan, of Co. G., to
order the men in line. On his way to do so, he
met a company of Connecticut heavy artillery
rapidly advancing to man the guns. and right
nobly did they do their part in repulsing the
seven charges made By A. P. Hill to retake the
fort that day.
Capt. Moynahan was wounded in the arm
before he could regain his command, and went
to the rear. he being the first man to report
from the fort. Meeting Gen. Potter, of the
Second Division, at the works near Fort Hell,
who asked, Are the boys in the fort?" MOy-
nahan answered, I'VE got there, General. but il
/ not Immediately reinforced it cannot be held"
At this the General said, I'VE will see to that
The fort is ours, and they will never get it
| again."
Troops, that we then supposed belonged to the
/ Second Division, Ninth Corps, moved into the
/ fort and stood their share of that long days
| battle side by side with the little brigade who
were the pioneers of that Union line. OF the
| balance of the regiments of the brigade knew
but little, save that they formed the line to the
left of the Michigan boys. But this / do know,
nothing at the time was said whatever regard
| ing the 3Sth Wis showing the white feather for
q moment, and such talk in our opinion, is all
CANNON. A truer band of fighters could not be
| found on that day. Now, boys of that grand
| old army, the First Brigade, First Division,
Ninth Corps. went into Fort Malone proper in
| the lead of all on that well-remembered morn
ing of the ID Of April, 1S65-and don't you for
get it!-GEoRGE w. Cox, Co. B, 9th Mich,
i Georgetown Colo